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One Big Problem With MS: Astroturfing Damages Online Communities
- Thread starter QaaQer
- Start date
Captain Tuttle
Member
What laws are being broken?
It's somewhat suspicious, at least, considering what the news were.
That's some good turfing.
Astroturfing is far more dishonest than trailers, PR campaigns, PR interviews, and so forth. You sort of know what you're getting with those. It does sound similar to regular marketing, but, astroturfers pretend to be someone they are not, in order to fool people into buying a product -- a complete lie. PR is usually semi-truths, not outright, blatant lies. It has happened, but there was usually a defense -- like a developer saying, "But it was just my personal opinion!", or "Trailers aren't indicative of the final product!". Astroturfing has no defense.
One might argue that such people are merely making a living, but it's most certainly not an honest living. It should be illegal to "astroturf", if it isn't already. Shilling on auctions isn't allowed, conning people isn't allowed.
Say you make a new friend. This friend tells you about a great game called "Call of Duty". He tells you how wonderful and amazing it, how it's the best game of all time.
One year later, you're convinced, and you buy the game. You don't like it, so you call your new buddy that recommended the game. "This number is not available.", and you're like "Hm, that's weird.", so you go to his apartment -- and it's empty.
How would you feel? It should be illegal. It's a con.
Randolph Freelander
Member
"They" as in publishers, not "they" as in the very same people. That, I'd have no idea. I rather doubt it, though. The most ardent console/game warriors do it for free, after all.
Just like there are specific marketing legislation on what is appropriate and what isn't appropriate to advertise, so do uncandid and ingenuine marketing ploys go against truthful standards for advertising a product. It wouldn't even be that big of a change, seeing how current marketing legislation is.
TheBryanJZX90
Member
I'm not surprised that this practice exists, but I don't really understand what these companies think they are accomplishing by paying people to post incendiary comments on forums. I've got plenty of unpopular opinions (Windows 8 is good; Persona 1 is the best in the series; day 1 DLC isn't inherently bad; no used games could theoretically help the industry) but I know enough that you're not going to actually convince someone that you're right by just spewing hate and attacking people.
I also think this practice is a shame if it encourages people to automatically assume anyone with a differing opinion is being paid to express that opinion.
I also think this practice is a shame if it encourages people to automatically assume anyone with a differing opinion is being paid to express that opinion.
It's a proven to be effective tactic to sway public perception on businesses favor. It's used because it works.
Depending on how a locality views dishonest advertising, maybe a couple.
Captain Tuttle
Member
Dishonest advertising would be MS saying "The Xbone doesn't ever require an internet connection and used games are treated exactly the same as the current gen" and then releasing it and it turns out that none of that is true. Someone saying that they think that the new used game policy is awesome and they love the idea of the console phoning home every 24 hours is just an opinion (paid or not), a silly opinion I think but just an opinion.
But who cares? You're not going to get banned unless you really are one, and the mods would know that, and that's their job anyway. Haha.
It is.
Isn't it just as likely that the haters are the paid astroturfers? It's easier to criticize than praise without skepticism, so constantly dumping on the opposition would be an easier tactic.
There are a lot of posters who do nothing but flood threads with criticism and negative comments about a company.
There are a lot of posters who do nothing but flood threads with criticism and negative comments about a company.
Absolutely. Some of the exposed astroturfers were both defending Microsoft and attacking Sony, depending on the news that was being discussed and the parties involved. In both instances, it was done poorly.
Thankfully quite a few are pretty damn obvious and get caught or exposed, my only issue is with those who tend to be a wee bit smarter than those reading the PR crap they're expected to say point for point. Anyone who's been on a message board for years now have heard the stories of various places using people that make fake accounts to garner good will, even have two accounts and actually bicker with one another to sell a point. They can be creative if not inventive. Been a person or two who admitted that use to be their job in the past. Pretty sure one GAF member some time ago even said they did that for a company elsewhere.
Again it's why I'm glad some are idiots and get caught so easily.
Again it's why I'm glad some are idiots and get caught so easily.
TheBryanJZX90
Member
Do you (or anyone else) have a link to one of the confirmed paid-for posts? I'm curious to see what kind of things these people are getting paid to write.
"it's like steam."
Laughing Banana
Weeping Pickle
Is there any case of this thing actually works?
...but I suppose if it works then no one can obviously detect it, huh.
...but I suppose if it works then no one can obviously detect it, huh.
TheBryanJZX90
Member
Hmm. Doesn't sound that far off from some of the thoughts I've had about the Xbone debacle. Maybe he's not giving the counterarguments to his position enough credit, but hey it's the internet. No one ever even considers that the other side may have a point.
Kai Dracon
Writing a dinosaur space opera symphony
I've often wondered if paid marketers sometimes use reverse psychology. Instead of propping up their patron's product, they pretend to be angry fans of a competitor to lower the image of the competition.
For instance, acting like an outraged Xbox fanboy over Xbone, to fan the flames as hard as possible. Or aping an angry Valve fanatic who does nothing but assert Steam has gone to hell and Valve can't make games anymore - to encourage more people to try alternatives like Origin.
For instance, acting like an outraged Xbox fanboy over Xbone, to fan the flames as hard as possible. Or aping an angry Valve fanatic who does nothing but assert Steam has gone to hell and Valve can't make games anymore - to encourage more people to try alternatives like Origin.
MWS Natural
Member
So there really ISN'T a Defense Force for everything??